Murray mentioned a lie-in last night, so I of course was wide awake at 0630
knowing my readers would be cursing me for no photos on Saturday.
I didn't think he'd appreciate being awoken before 0800 so
I slid back the van door & watched & listened to the valley come alive.
Can you imagine a more perfect start to a Sunday morning ?
Ok, maybe a cup of tea would have improved things, but only just.
I tried down-loading & posting photos last night, but gave up at 2330, when
my eyelids were losing the battle with gravity.
I'm writing as Murray cycles down to the dairy for milk.
He says even Kaycee slept well last night.
The last time I flew a kite I was 12, it was a huge dowelling & canvas stunt
affair & my dad said, 'Whatever happens, don't let go.'
Murray was slightly more understanding yesterday.
After a relaxing morning in the sun we headed into Nelson & the fabulous
market there. I found a gorgeous amber ring to match the necklace which
Angie bought me after I admired them on our trip to Dublin. I wore the
necklace only for special occasions until Angie's recent health scare,
I wear it all the time now. It feels like I'm keeping an eye on her that way.
I wanted a ring to be able to think of NZ every time I saw my hand,
does that sound weird ? The last ring I had from here was a beautiful
one made of paua shell which I stupidly left in a soap dish so the acid
from the soap stripped all colour from it.
After a sandwich large enough to choke a horse & the obligatory look around
'The Plastic Box' shop (I told Murray I needed a hot water bottle, I think he
bought it) we headed for Neale Park & some kiting to prepare me for buggying.
Murray took out his 1 metre black 'Excalibur',a fantastically aggressive looking
kite which resembles a Stealth bomber. When he told me it sounded like a V8
when it flew, I nodded understandingly & thought he'd probably caught too much sun.
Bugger me - it did. For reasons I can't begin to explain, when the wind catches
the slightly loose edges of the kite & ripples the material it sounds exactly
like a huge engine - perfect.
Watching Murray being pulled to & fro by the kite gave me some inkling of
what I was in for & I will admit to being slightly nervous as I took the lines.
What a blast. I don't remember flying a kite being anything like this, you must
all have a go - quick. The power of the wind when the kite is directly above
you does little to prepare you for the gut-wrenching pull as you bring the kite
lower and into the power-zone. After 30 minutes of flying it I was sweating
freely & my forearms were solid. Want big biceps guys ? Fly a kite.
While I was doing this Murray set up the kite/buggy/trailer outfit with his
3 metre ram air foil 'Blade' kite
& we were soon cruising tandem around the park.
Murray made it look ridiculously easy & I was soon itching to have a go.
It looked like you sat in the buggy, hung on to the lines & just
let the wind pull you along.
No Briggsy, no.
He hitched up a couple of Excaliburs together, having judged rightly that
the Blade would be too powerful for me. Odd that the iconic kite remains
the iconic motorbike.
I had been warned a couple of times to keep the front wheel in line with the
direction the kite was taking & the consequences of not doing so were quick
to catch me out. One minute I was moving forwards quite happily & the next
I had been yanked unceremoniously from the seat & dumped chin-first on the grass.
Despite Murray telling me not to worry about the kites & to ditch them if I got
into trouble, he reckoned without the stupid stubborn streak of Tykes.
Hanging on grimly, I set off towards him at a much quicker rate than
previously,noting only in passing that he too was on the deck, having judged
it the safest place to be as the twin Excaliburs roared towards his head at
silly speeds.
It was about now that i realised wearing loose-fitting trousers was a bad idea.
I've never been undressed by grass before & I wouldn't recommend it. Luckily I finally ground to a halt before my dignity was completely compromised.
Still, I managed to stand up without the kites leaving the air & even tried to
persuade Murray that chin-surfing is a radical new sport which is the
way to go. Kite buggying is just SO last week.
After Neale Park we headed off to the place I seem to read about most weeks
on 'Coffeewaffle' - Rabbit Island. I know why now, it's a magnificent 8km
beach which most people would drive for a day to reach & it's a 15 minute
drive from Nelson city centre.
We spent the evening travelling up & down the beach with Murray unhooking
the trailer at the end for some solo hooning & jumping.
I can't quite explain the feeling that comes with racing silently along the
hard-packed sand. Perhaps the fact that everyone we saw smiled & waved at
us explains it better than I can. There's something about kite-buggying
that makes you grin. I hadn't thought I could get hooked on speed without
noise, fuel or an engine & yet the power from a bike is totally predictable,
you twist, it goes fast, you screw up, it hurts. When you're harnessing
the wind for your momentum, every fibre of your being has to concentrate
on working with the wind, or suffer the consequences.
As I prepared to shower last night, I noticed the grass stains on my knickers
and laughed out loud, remembering my belly-surfing across Neale Park.
I can't remember enjoying a day as much that didn't include motorbikes or neddies.
Thank you Murray.
Cx
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